Talk:Malachite/@comment-2601:1C2:700:18EF:8CFD:9BB1:A034:6F75-20190613171751
Pantala, Great Britain, U.K. Blue blinked awake to see his sister's face beaming at him. "GAACK!" "Good, you're up!" Luna chirped, getting off the bed. "I'll help you pick out your outfit. You need to look sharp." "It's just Silkworm Hall, Luna," Blue reminded her, trying to catch his breath. "It's the same school we've been going to since we were five." "Ninth year is a rite of passage, brother dear," Luna said. "It's our first year going to school as official teenagers, and we've got to look like them." (Apparently ninth year is the equivalent to eighth grade in the U.K. so yeah) Blue sighed and got out of bed. There was no arguing with Luna---it got you absolutely nowhere. Which was bad, as she was the only person he could argue with without feeling guilty. Except for Swordtail, and lately, he'd always been taking Luna's side in things. Or maybe it was the other way around. After getting dressed, eating breakfast, and being driven to school, the two siblings made their way into Silkworm Hall. It wasn't as big or as grand as the schools the white kids went to, but it was large enough to hold students of all ages. Blue and Luna had memorized the layout years ago. "SWORDY!" Luna shrieked, running towards the entrance. Blue slowly buried his face into his hands. "Lulu! Long time no see," Swordtail said, kissing her on the head. He'd added a bright streak of orange in his bluish-black hair over the summer, and he'd shot upwards a couple of inches. Meanwhile, Blue's hair was the same as it had always been (halfway down his back, ponytailed, and azure-with-purple-streaks), and all he did over the summer was get even more skinnier. I shouldn't really be jealous, though, he reflected. Everyone matures at different rates. It's not anybody's fault how they age, so they shouldn't be judged by that. Swordtail looked up and spotted him. "Blue! Nice to see you, mate." "Nice to see you too," Blue said, smiling. "How's life?" "Oh, well, my big sister claims she's better than me because she's in college now, but other than that, not bad. Yours?" "Same as always, Swordy." He shook his head. "Same as always." (Cricket POV) "Bye, Mum! I'm heading out!" Cricket called, grabbing her bag. Katydid stuck her head out of her study. "Weren't you walking with Click?" "Meeting her on the way. Love you!" She closed the door behind her and raced down the street. Maybe it was nerdy, but she was beyond excited to go to school. And Mantis High was going to be way better than the private school she used to go to, Terrarium Academy. The science program at Mantis was supposed to be top-notch. Plus, it had the same name as a Marvel character. That counted for something. "Woah, woah, woah, slow down," Click said as Cricket screeched to a stop in front of her house. "You're going to break the sound barrier if you go faster." "No, I won't," Cricket assured her. "I'd have to go at least a hundred kilometers per second to do that." Click shook her head. "Always the brain." Cricket and Click were almost exact opposites. While Cricket always wore practical outfits, usually in yellow, always wore her black-streaked blonde hair in a messy bun to keep it out of the way, and had multiple pairs of glasses in case she lost a pair, Click was the definition of "goth"---black, tattered clothing, silver jewelry, multiple piercings, and lots of black eyeliner. Her short orange hair was the only thing that stood out. Despite their differences, the two girls had been friends almost their entire lives. "So, anything to look forward to at Mantis High?" Cricket asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Well, it's years eight through thirteen, so there's going to be a lot of older kids," Click began. "There's no real dress code, so you're not going to stand out. One or two of the teachers are jerks, so steer clear from that. Oh, and the drama program is awesome. This year, they're even letting kids from other schools try out." "Really? What's the play?" One of the few things Click and Cricket had in common were their love of acting. "Into The Woods. You should try out." Cricket shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe I will." (Sundew POV) "That's the third time you've failed to deflect my strike," Bryony snapped, slinging her staff over her shoulder. "What's wrong with you today?" Sundew hauled herself up. "I'm trying as hard as I can!" "Trying---" Swish. "Is not---" Swat. "Enough." Smack. "You are the best warrior the nation has ever had---" Swish swat smack. "And you need to act like it!" She growled and grabbed her staff. "Just because---"'' Whoosh.'' "You're older than me---"'' Wham.'' "Doesn't mean---"'' ''Whack. "You get---" Whoosh wham whack. "to boss. Me. AROUND!" The next thing Sundew knew, her staff was pointed at a disarmed Bryony's throat. Perfect. Maple cackled from the sidelines. "Very good, Miss Ramirez. Miss O'Malley, don't be disappointed. Like you said, my trainee is the best warrior the nation's ever had." Sundew stood up and tossed her messy green braid over her shoulder. "Thank you, Mentor Alejo." "Don't thank me yet," Maple warned, banging her walking stick on the ground. "Queen Sequoia talked to me this morning. I'm to take you and your girlfriend to see her." "Willow is not my---" The significance of her trainer's words settled in. "The queen wants to see me? But---" "You heard her," Bryony said, grinning. "She's probably got a promotion for you or something." Sundew whipped around. "Why don't you see that refugee boy that you're so fond of?" Bryony tilted her head to the side. "You know, I think I will. Grayling needs my help, anyways." She walked out of the training area. "See you around, Dyrad." "Sundew! I just got the news!" Sundew's cheeks went hot as Willow ran up to her and Maple, beaming. "I think this means we're finally getting an assignment! Together! Isn't that amazing?" "Y-Yeah," Sundew managed. "Brilliant. Of course." "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Willow raced towards the elegant, treelike palace in the distance, guesturing for Maple and Sundew to follow. "You should just ask her out already, pollo," Maple chuckled, getting up. "You're not doing any favors blushing like an idiot while she carries on." "I don't even know if she likes me in that way," Sundew hissed, face burning. "Besides, I can't ask my best friend out." "Why not?" Maple demanded. "Back in my day, everyone dated their closest friend! And if you really wanted to marry them, you got to defeat them in combat! And if your partner mistreated you, you could have them executed by your own hand!" "Yes, well, the Tree Nation has evolved. Da and Mami never fought each other in combat." Maple waved her hand. "Only because Bella would crush Hemlock to a pulp. Now, let's go see why the Queen wants to hire a peacemaker and a chicken." "Mentor Alejo!" ------------------ *Snoopy happy dance* After months of waiting, summer has finally arrived---and with it, the Pantalans! In this story, Luna, Cricket, and Moon are all Internet friends, but they've never actually met in real life. Also, I didn't cover it in this chapter, but Blue is very passionate about music. Especially anything Hamilton-related. Click is sort of an OC of mine, and I've always pictured her being a close friend of Cricket's. As for the acting thing, there's going to be a lot of musical stuff in this story, and not just in the Pantala part. Not to mention the fact that everybody is a major nerd... Hope you liked this chapter, and HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! *throws rainbow confetti and various Pride flag streamers into the air* ---Starry the NightWing